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Is obesity increases Cancer risk?

Roundabout a 36 percent of Americans are now considered obese, according to the statistics given by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 34 percent are considered overweight.

Here are a few more surprising effects of obesity:

Cancer

According to the study published in The Lancet, it has been found that for every 1 point population wide increase in BMI, there would be a 3,790 additional cancers each year. This is a cause of concern since the BMI has risen around 2.5 points for men and 4 for women each year according to another recent study.

If every adult reduces their BMI by 1 percent, almost 100,000 new cancer cases could be avoided.

Migraines

Through a researched survey conducted at John Hopkins, it was seen that higher the BMI, greater the chances of having episodic migraines. Obese people were 81 percent more likely to experience around 14 headaches every month. It was seen that obese women above the age of 50 suffered most from chronic headaches.

Infertility

Overweight women have a more difficult time getting pregnant. An Indian case study conducted with 300 morbidly obese women found that above 90 percent of them had developed polycystic ovarian disease over a three year span. As for cancer, the relation between obesity and infertility isn’t too clear.

Dr Marc Bessler, director of for Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital said that many of his heavier patients faced difficulty in getting pregnant. He also observed that they could easily conceive after shedding a few pounds. Premature Birth For those heavier women who do get pregnant, the tension has not yet passed. A study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that obesity increased the woman’s chances of having a pre-term baby, especially in cases with a BMI of over 35. The study speculates over the fact that too much fat may inflame and eventually weaken the uterine as well as cervical membranes.

Sleep Disorders

Almost 80 percent of older and obese Amercians report having sleep problems. Poor sleep leads to a number of diseases including diabetes , heart diseases and obesity itself. A recent study found that those who slept for less than 5 hours were 15 percent more probable to gain weight.

The most dangerous condition for obese people is sleep apnea, where the person stops breathing temporarily or gasps a lot while sleeping.

Bullying

A study at Yale found that weight has been the number one cause of bullying at any age. The negative effects of bullying are lower self esteem and increased risk of suicide. According to the study, the main source of ridicule are loved ones.

Difficulty finding Doctors

After loved ones, this is perhaps the second stugma. Dr Puhl has said that 67 percent of women and men have been found to be bullied at the doctor’s office. However, it was found that this works both ways- patients are less apt towards following a doctor’s orders if they are overweight.